The Awakened Empire
Pending... History The history of the Awakened Empire is old, with much of what existed before the time of the Hieromagus being shrouded in mystery and speculation. The Rise of Imperium Centuries ago, before humanity's presence stretched across the stars, the world of its origin was made to burn. None can recall why the nations of man waged war, only that they did en masse, and from the chaos would mages grow desperate to end the conflict. Utilizing their collective knowledge and wisdom, five archmagi composed a ritual that would merge their souls into one, sacrificing themselves to bring forward the Hieromagus, the savior of mankind. A messiah of unparalleled power, the Hieromagus was made immortal and beyond temptation. The demigod would then unite the remaining nations of man to form the Empire of Hieraconis, and for three hundred years, humanity lived within a golden age of enlightened wonder. But it was not to last, for despite the Hieromagus' will, few humans could awaken to the power of the Supernal. Determined to destroy the Sleeping Curse, the Savior of Man devised a machine known as the Celestial Orrery, where the Hieromagus would act as a conduit between the Supernal and the ley-lines of the planet to awaken all mortals to magic. Through the machine, all of humanity could now see magic without causing impediment to its practitioners, but tragically the curse of paradox still existed, as did the Abyss. By his own hand, the Hieromagus was now trapped between the Supernal and Fallen worlds, said to ever battle against the horrors of the Abyss from his Immortal Chantry. Will of the Savior Before the completion of the Celestial Orrery, the Hieromagus inacted several laws onto the Ancient Orders of the Pentacle. First was that the Adamantine Arrow become the leaders of his military, chapter houses being built in reverence to twelve of their members that had served as his war council. Second, the Silver Ladder would act as church and state in spreading the word of Humanity, and upholding its laws. Third, the Mysterium would administer to bureaucratic duties and collecting the mysteries of magic across the cosmos. Fourth, the Guardians of the Veil would be reinstated as the inquisition and spy-network against the Empire's enemies, more specifically the Abyss. Finally, though the Free Council refused to be part of a government outside democracy, the Hieromagus sanctioned the Moon of Earth as its territory, with full jurisdiction over it and populace forevermore. Inevitably, as the secrets of the earth were laid bare, the empire looked to the stars. Theories began to arise that the dragons of Atlantis still existed somewhere within the depths of space. Inspired to find these ancient creatures, the Empire soon discovered the Stygian Gate just beyond Pluto. With great effort, the gate was forced open, granting humanity access to systems beyond the normal reach of starships. This would bring about an age of exploration and expansion that soon drew the attention of something sinister. The Scelestian Heresy When the first explorers of the Empire passed through the Stygian Gate, they did so without knowing what they would find on the other side. Of the eight ships that ventured in, only three returned, each telling of horrors beyond time and space lurking within the shadows. It was only through the combination of Atlantean artifacts and Free Council techné that the gate would be used again with success. A decade after the return of the three ships, when the Empire had already expanded itself into several distant star systems, a new threat appeared from the Stygian Gate. From beyond the gateway emerged the five ships thought lost to the void, each having been augmented with alien machinery, barely recognizable for what they once were. Incapable of knowing the full horror of what lay inside, several emissaries were sent to board the capital ship. All, however, would return broken and insane, speaking of blasphemies beyond redemption. Without further prompting, the Adamantine Arrow opened fire on the vessels, only to lose them once more within the Stygian Gate. Unsettling reports soon came from across imperial space of entire systems going dark, colonies becoming enveloped by civil war as Abyssal cults grew rampant. Purification Fearing a long drawn out war, the leaders of the Empire were forced with an ultimatum. By the command of the Imperial Magesterium, hundreds of settlements were set to the torch by orbital bombardment, eradicating everything that remained on the planetary surface below. For decades, the Guardians of the Veil would enact inquisitions on entire sectors of Imperial space for fear of abyssal corruption, and those who opposed such actions, namely the Free Council, would soon realize they were both outnumbered and outgunned by the Adamantine Arrow's armada. That said, it was the Silver Ladder that revoked such crucibles, believing it heresy against the wishes of the Hieromagus himself. But as the Libertines were allowed privilege, so would it be that the Free Council would devise plans of its own to serve and protect. Rival Kings Although under the protection of laws written during the reign of the Hieromagus, the Free Council was not able to openly defy the wishes of the Empire. Even so, a desire to lessen the purification acts of its fellow Orders led to a strange underground movement on Lunar Metropolis. Later known as the Rogue Concordant, this collection of rebel magi, spirit cults, mega-corporations, and pirates set out to create havens across Imperial Space for those that would oppose the Empire's inquisition. Sure enough, they succeeded in crafting such places on worlds dead to magic, and therefore immune to scrying attempts. Combined with nearly limitless resources and the secret aid of the Libertines, the Rogues became a beacon of hope for colonists across the Empire. Unfortunately, everything soon began to fall apart as infighting and territorial disputes erupted among the numerous factions involved. Unable to settle it with diplomacy alone, the Rogues soon began a civil war with itself, to which even the Pentacle would not involve itself in for fear of spreading anarchy. Eventually, the area of the galaxy known as the Fringe became a place of scum and villainy, hidden from the eyes of the Empire. But even though a tragedy, the creation of the Fringe allowed for a form of reprieve, as it drew undesirables away from Imperial Space, lessening the ire borne from the Guardians of the Veil. The Uplifts Through out the history of the Awakened Empire, shapechangers have lived secret lives in fear of the Silver Ladder. Called "teramorphs" by some, and monsters by many, the uplifts were considered aberrations of the Fallen World, their ability to awaken to the supernal limited to the spirits of the Shadow. Though during the time of the Hieromagus, the uplifts had never been a center of interest, some believe the Savior of Man made a pact with the Moon, allowing humanity to rule over it in exchange for sparing her children, the Uratha. During the era of Purification, many uplifts were targeted by human purists and the Silver Ladder as feral beasts to either be put down or brought in line to serve the Empire... but then came the Hymn of the Stars. Across Imperial space, entire worlds were engulfed by a great spiritual chorus borne of the solar, lunar, and ethereal choirs. Many were driven mad, though only temporarily. Others, however, awakened to something. Not the supernal, but rather, the totem of the soul. In a matter of hours, men, women, and children endured the first change, becoming hybrid creatures of mortal and spirit. So it was that in a glorious hymn to the stars, the uplifts experienced a population boom like no other. Knowing they could not fight the galaxy-spanning spirit choirs, nor do battle with so many uplifts, the Adamantine Arrow defied Silver Ladder commands to purge, and gained the support of both Free Council and the Mysterium. Out numbered in votes and manpower, the Silver Ladder rescind its request, allowing the uplifts to become second-class citizens. Many, however, chose to follow a different path. *Under Construction*